Air pollution in the national capital on Friday morning was 14 times higher than the permissible limit prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), according to the official data.
With city residents openly flouting the ban on firecrackers notified by the Delhi government on October 21, Delhi’s overall 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) settled at 339 (‘very poor’), up from 328 (‘poor’) a day earlier, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s official bulletin. A higher value of AQI suggests an increase in air pollution.
However, experts said the AQI had spiked even higher on the night of Deepavali but was mitigated by winds that blew across the Capital through the night.
Ahead of Deepavali, official forecasts showed that Delhi’s AQI could deteriorate to the ‘severe’ category on Friday due to firecrackers.
“The air pollution peaked around 2 a.m. on November 1 due to firecrackers. However, the wind speed had picked up from Thursday evening and flushed out the pollutants,” said Sachin Ghude, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune.
According to the Central government’s Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, the national capital’s air quality is likely to be in the ‘very poor’ category Friday night onwards as meteorological conditions are likely to be “extremely unfavourable”.
Meanwhile, the contribution of stubble burning in neighbouring states to PM2.5 (a chief pollutant) in Delhi on Thursday was 27.6%, the highest proportion recorded this paddy harvest season, according to the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences data.
Air pollution spikes in Delhi and many other parts of north India every winter mainly due to meteorological factors such as lower wind speed, drop in temperature, pollution from firecrackers, and stubble burning.
Parts of the city saw PM2.5 levels spiking 100-120 times the WHO limit, as per CPCB data. In Vivek Vihar, PM2.5 was 1,853 micrograms per cubic meter at 12 a.m. on Friday, which is about 123 times the WHO’s permissible limit of 15 micrograms per cubic meter.
Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmental activist, said the ban on firecrackers should have been notified a year ago. “The planning of the ban was flawed as the government announced it in September and notified it a month later. By this time, retailers had stocked and sold the firecrackers.”
Political slugfest
The better-than-expected air quality on Friday morning led to a war of words between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP.
Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai credited people with bursting “fewer” firecrackers this Deepavali and thanked them. He said those who burst firecrackers this year “will be convinced to light diyas” on the next Deepavali. He also said the government has increased water sprinkling across the Capital to control bad air.
However, the BJP accused the ruling party of defaming “Sanatana Dharma traditions”. It said that the pollution was caused by “local factors” and not by firecrackers, as suggested by the AQI on Friday. Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva asked AAP to tender an apology to the Hindu community. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 450 ‘severe’.
Published - November 02, 2024 01:43 am IST
